EXPERIMENTS ON MODE CONVERSION OF M=-1 FAST WAVE INTO SHEAR ALFVEN-WAVE IN A CYLINDRICAL PLASMA

Experimental results are presented which show that the fast waves (MHD surface mode of compressional Alfvén waves) of the radial m= −1 mode, where m is the poloidal mode number, are mode converted on the Alfvén resonance layer. The fast waves were excited using a pair of small loop antennas located near the cylindrical chamber. The converted waves are a quasi-electrostatic form of the shear Alfven waves, i.e. kinetic Alfvén wave and/or the resistive mode. The observed properties of the converted waves are in general agreement with theory. © 1990, THE PHYSICAL SOCIETY OF JAPAN. All rights reserved.